Circuit maker and breaker



Sept. 22.. 1925.

B. L. ENOGHS 'CIRCUIT MAKER AND BREAKER Filgd April 15, 1924 2.Shuts-Shoot 1 Sept. 22, 1925.

B. L.'ENOCHS cmcun' MAKER ARI; BREAKER 2 Shah-Shut 2 Filed April 15,1924 Patented Sept. 22, 1925'.

UNITED STATES PATENT GFFNTE.

BERTIE LEE ENOCHS, OF SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR 0F FORTY-FIVE ?ERCENT T0 ALVIN E. CORMENY, OF SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS.

CIRCUIT MAKER "AND BREAKER.

Application filed April 15, 1924. Serial No. 706,739.

To all whom it may concern: 7

Be it known that I, BERTIE L. ENooHs, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Springfield, in the county ofSangamon and State of Illinois, have invented certain new on the currentas it passes into the mine and will automatically turn off the currentupon leaving the mine.

A further object of the invention resides in the provision of means forenergizing a magnet which attracts a switch blade for closing thecircuit and energizing a solenoid or the like for operating the switchblade to break the circuit, the switch blade being mounted in a novelmanner so as to be readily operated in either direction and a resistanceunit being used for reducing the voltage which is admitted to themagnetand solenoid from the trolley line.

Still another object consists in providing the locomotive with a contactmember which will engage a contact in the trolley line for opening orclosing the circuit, the contact member on the locomotive engaging oneside of the contact on the trolley as the locomoti've passes into themine and the opposite side of the contact on the trolley as thelocomotive passes out of the mine.

With theabove and other objects in view, which will appear as thedescription proceeds, my invention consists in the novel details ofconstruction and arrangementof parts described in the followingspecification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and while Ihave illustrated and described the preferred embodiments of the theinvention as they-now appear to me it will be understood that suchchanges may be made as will fall Within the scope of the appendedclaims.

In the drawings: r

Fig. 1 is a front elevation.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation.

Fig. 3 is a top plan.

Fig. 4 is a front elevation showing my circuit maker and breaker incombination with a mine trolley line with a mine locomotive shown inside elevation. V

Fig. 5 is an end view of the contact plates carried by the trolley wire,and

Fig. 6 is a top plan of the trolley wire contact plates.

At the present day in a great many mines electric locomotives are usedfor haulage purposes and receivev their current from a trolley line orwire which extends into the mine. For a number of reasons it isdesirable that when the electric locomotive is not in use that thecurrent be cut off from the trolley wire or certain sections thereof andfor this reason I have provided novel means wherebyth'e current isautomaticallv turned on in the trolley line or wire or a sectionthereof, as the locomotive passes into the mine and is automatically cutoff as the locomotive passes from the mine.

In the drawing 1 indicates an electric locomotive having the usual formof trolley pole 2 with a wheel 3 on its upper end and 4t represents acontact member secured adjacent the trolley wheel and preferably eX-tending horizontally from the side thereof. Sections of a trolley lineor wire are indicated at 5 and 6 and their ends are connected by aninsulated joint onblock 7. Supported on or adjacent to the section 5 ofthe trolley wire is a contact member indicated generally at 8 thismember having 7 the side bars or plates 9 and 10 which are elongated asshown and extendon opposite sides of the wire.

Supported adjacent the trolley and pref erably at the point where theends of the sec tions of the wire are connected is a base or supportingplate 11 which carries the elements of the switch which connect thesecto which s pivotally connected arm 21, the upper end of as shown atis biturcated to form the parallel arms Secured to or tor-need on theupper bifurcated )1 end 22 is a transversely extending bar which carriesthe switch b Seen ed to the arms prer ra the lower ends tl erect, is lansrersely e tending bar in which in i s connected thereto the rod illwhich is d to the core of he solenoid the sor id being scoured to thesupport 11. swich arm El has secured thereto or red thereon intermediateends thereof. a svcrsely e::- tending be; 230 which adapter to beattracted by the horseshoe magnet 31, said magnet being connected to thesupport 11. A, resistance unit 32 and a junction block 33 are alsosecured to the support 11. A coiled spring 3i is secured at one end tothe support 11 and at the opposite end to one of the arms 2-3, thiscoiled spring normally drawing the lower end oi the switch arm towardsthe solenoid and holding: the contact: blades 25 away from the arms 18and 19 so that the circuit will be broken. Coiled springs 35 are securedto the support ll. in position to be engaged by the ends of the bar 26.as shown, said coiled springs 35 acting as bumpers.

it lead wire 36 extends to the junction block 33 and a wire 37 leadsfrom said junction block to the horseshoe magnet 31. A. lead wire 38leads to the junction box 33 and extending from said junction bloclt andlead wire is a wire 39 which leads to the solenoid 29. A wire 40 leadstrom the resistance unit 32 through the junction b ock to the negativewire 4-1.

Having now fully described the details of construction i will nowendeavor to more clearly brim; out the operation. .Vhile I have onlyshown two sections of trolley wire I wish it understood that any numberof sections might be used with associated parts so that when desired thecurrent between adjacent sections may be turned on or turned ottauton'iaticallv by the movement o the electric locomotive ..ssumin o'that the parts or elements are in the positions illustrated in thedrawing; and that the locomotive is passinginto the mine. the currentwill be on in the section but oil in the section 6. As the locomotivereaches the. proper position the trolley contact 4- will engage theplate 9 and cause the current to pass through the horseshoe mannot 31and attract the bar 30 ot the switch arm The switch arm will swine" uponthe bracket 20 and cause the switch blades 25 to engage the arms 18 and19 carried by the terminals 12 and 13. This will close the circuit andallow the current to pass into the section (3 of the trolley wire sothat the locomotive may pass on into the mine. 'rsthe locomotive passesout from the mine the trolley contact i will engage the plate it) of thetrolley contact member 8 and cause the current to pass through the wire31'.) to the solenoid 29 this attracting the core of the solenoid anddrawing the lower end of the switch arm 21 towards the solenoid so as toremove the switch blades :25 from engagement with the contacts and it).This increment of the contact arm wih break the circuit between thetrolley wire sections 5 and (3 and shut oil the current from the section3. Th resistance unit 32 will reduce the current passing between thehorseshoe magnet and solenoid.

Having fully described my invention what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent 1. In combination with a plurality of trolleysections and a locomotive, a circuit maker and breaker, said circuitmaker and breaker comprising terminals connected to the sections of thetrolley, a switch arm, means operable by the movement of the locomotivein one direction to attract one end of the switch arm to close a circuitbetween the trolley sections, and means operable by the movement o1 thelocon'iotive in the opposite direction to attract the opposite end ofthe switch arm to open the circuit between the trolley sections.

2. In combination with a plurality of trolley sections and a locomotive,acircuit inalcer and breaker said circuit malter and brealter comprisingterminals connected to the sections ot the trolley a switch arm, meansoperable by the movement of the locomotive in one direction to attractone end of the switch arm to close a circuit between the trolleysections, and separate means operable by the UiOVtlHGHi ot thelocomotive in the opposite direction to attract the opposite end oi theswitch arm to open the circuit between the trolley sections.

In combination with a plurality of trolley sections and a locomotive acircuit maker and breaker, said circuit inalrt, and breaker comprising;terminals connected to the sections of the trolley. a switch arm..a

magnet, a solenoid, means for energizing the magnet upon movement of thelocomotive in onedirection to attract one end of the switch arm to closea circuit between the trolley sections and means for energizing; thesolenoid upon movement of tho locon'iotivc in the opposite direction forattracting the opposite end of the switch arm to open the circuitbetween the trolley sections.

In testimony whereof I hereunto atfix my si on atu re.

BERTIE LEE ENOCHS.

